Miller has heavy hitters for Best Pal, Futurity

DEL MAR, Calif. – Victories by Chasing Aces and Big League in 2-year-old maiden races during the first weeks of the meet have put trainer Peter Miller in position to sweep the graded stakes for 2-year-old males at Del Mar.

Big League, a son of Speightstown, won his debut last Saturday by 3 1/4 lengths and will come right back in the Grade 2, $200,000 Best Pal Stakes on Aug. 13, Miller said.

“He won pretty easy,” Miller said. “The race didn’t appear to take anything out of him.”

Miller also trains Chasing Aces, a son of Flatter whose maiden win in his second start July 17, when he went five furlongs in 56.21 seconds, earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure recorded by a 2-year-old this year, a 101.

Chasing Aces will await the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 5. Miller said he wanted to give Chasing Aces adequate time into the Futurity because the maiden win was so fast.

It also spurred keen interest from potential buyers, and on Tuesday, Earle Mack and Adam Wachtel completed a deal to take a majority interest in Chasing Aces.

“I think he’s a special horse,” Mack said. “It wasn’t just the time he ran, but it was also the way he did it. He’s a magnificent colt with a spectacular stride.”

Gary Hartunian, whose Rockingham Ranch bought both Big League and Chasing Aces at sales of 2-year-olds in training this year, will retain a minority interest in Chasing Aces, and he still has full ownership of Big League.

– additional reporting by David Grening